Assessment of Mixing Potential of Sewage Sludge, Green Waste and Food Waste for Co-Composting in Sharjah, UAE

Abstract

The generation of large amounts of solid waste is a big challenge for large cities like Sharjah, UAE. A major portion of this waste is organic in nature. There are different types of organic wastes produced in different operations within the municipalities. Instead of having separate composting facilities, working with the major types of organic waste for co-composting can add value. Sewage sludge, green waste and food waste are major sources of organic wastes in many municipalities. Currently, the compost facility within Sharjah Municipality uses sewage sludge and green waste as their raw material. There is no separate composting provision for food waste. The objective of the paper was to characterize different organic wastes and assess the suitability of co-composting in Sharjah, UAE. The results indicated that sewage sludge, green waste and food waste had very diverse characteristics suitable for compost. Mixing these wastes in the appropriate proportion can generate good quality compost. When it comes to maintaining a mixing proportion of these three different organic wastes, there are several combinations that can work.. Optimal moisture content was also investigated in the study.. A laboratory-based experimental study identified the mixing potential of these three types of organic waste for the municipality of Sharjah, UAE.